Chennai: Sixty-year-old G. Umayavathi is incoherent as she speaks about the gloom that descended on her single room residence at Piliamman Koil street, Kottur on Wednesday. With her eldest son G. Thyagarajan alias Thyagu murdered and her husband, L.R. Govindasamy in a critical condition, it is no surprise that she expresses rage as she condemns the apathy of the cops even as Thyagu's obituary posters adorn the apartment as a mark of protest by the locals. “A person is dead and another faced a near death experience. But, look at them, giving protection to an apartment building of the accused,” she points to the patrol vehicle outside the street.
With her husband still not informed about their eldest son’s death, her two sons take turns being with Govindasamy at Govt GH. “Father already started asking us about Thyagu and our silence itself has given him rising blood pressure. At least for my brother’s two-year-old son, we deserve justice,” G. Arivazhagan, the youngest son told DC. Thyagu, a foreman at the Tangedco office in Taramani and his father were returning home after an attempted arbitration at the Kotturpuram police station last Wednesday when they were hacked by his opposite group — a real estate contractor and his henchmen.
The issue pertains to a civil dispute between the contractor, Ravi and the residents of Piliamman Koil street over a piece of land which acts as a passage for Ravi’s construction project adjacent to their street. The construction of the apartment started about a year ago when the dispute arose. Residents allege that the contractor obtained permission to build an apartment on those narrow bylanes by bribing government machinery.
However, hell broke loose when the contractor demolished a temple well to make way for his apartment. “It is because of our relentless pursuit with the HR&CE ministry that the well was reconstructed,” says S. Nirmala, a resident who is also fighting the civil suit until recently.“Most of the residents here work in the unorganised sector — carpentry, plumbing etc. and we couldn't afford to fight against someone who has bought everybody including the police,” Nirmala said. But, Thyagu and his father were at the forefront and never gave up even as other residents backed down over time. “A week ago, Ravi and his henchmen visited the site and threatened us publicly. Ravi's driver Dinesh (one of the accused) pointed fingers at me and said that he is sparing me as I am a woman,” Nirmala recalled in horror.
Thyagarajan’s wife, Revathy still cannot reconcile with the fact that her husband is dead. “I came back from playschool. They told me he was attacked," was all she could muster before she broke down. Coming Tuesday, Thyagu would have celebrated his 41st birthday. With his death, the hopes of continuing fight against the real estate contractor too die.
